Hundreds of local backpackers have joined in a campaign to collect rubbish from Ba Den Mountain tourist site in Tay Ninh Province.

Ba Den Mountain is 11km away from the centre of Tay Ninh Province. Food wrapping and plastic bottles are thrown carelessly along the mountain’s paths. The campaign to clean the mountain was started by a group of young backpackers.

Nguyen Tuan Anh, who started the campaign said, "We want to raise people's awareness about environmental protection, starting with stopping the littering."

Tuan Anh called for the campaign on social network and has received help from over 400 people.

On February 25, over 400 members, most of them are students, started climbing the mountain. They collected the rubbish into huge bags and placed them on the sides of the paths. They gathered on the mountain top at the evening and rest for the following day.

On the next day, a group went down the same pathway to collect the rubbish bags. The other group used another pathway and collect the rubbish along the way. The rubbish will be burnt and plastic bags will be sold to scrap collectors. The money will be used for the next campaign.

"Looking at the mountain of rubbish, I couldn't believe that it was so successful. Because at first there were a lot of opposition. People said the campaign wasn’t practical because the number of people who litter the place is huge and we can't change them all. But I'm more confident now. We'll spread the campaign to other provinces and cities," Tuan Anh said.

Ba Den Mountain is one of Tay Ninh’s most famous attractions. It is 986 metres high and considered the roof of the southern region. People visited the mountain for the scenery or to visit the beautiful pagodas and caves.